Optivation offers Building Operator Certification course

Beginning June 13, a 74-hour classroom and hands-on Building Operator Certification course will be offered by Optivation, a joint venture of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

The certification course includes a total of seven courses given in eight days between June 13 and Sept. 5, 2012. Six of the seven courses are one-day courses, while the seventh is a two-day course. Training runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Northwest Technical College’s Sustainable Environment Technology Center, located at 808 Paul Bunyan Drive South in Bemidji.

Participants must register for the training course by Wednesday, June 6. Cost of the training is $1,200, but participants who manage a facility served by privately-owned energy utilities, such as MnPower, Ottertail, or Minnesota Energy Resources, may be eligible for a $600 tuition rebate upon completion of the course; interested participants should check with their local utility for information on the rebate. Registration is available online at http://www.boccentral.org.

Building Operator Certification is a nationally recognized training and certification program focusing on energy efficient building operations and preventative maintenance procedures. Facilities with BOC graduates are proven to save energy, have lower energy bills and offer an improved comfort for occupants. Across the country, more than 8,000 professionals have earned BOC credentials.

Building Operator Certification teaches professionals how to improve the efficiency of HVAC and lighting systems — a building’s biggest energy users — while providing the tools to research and pursue more-efficient methods of operation. Building managers who have completed BOC certification save an average of $12,000 per facility per year, and more than 90 percent of participants and supervisors say the training has improved comfort and saved energy or money in the facilities they manage.

The Level I training course offered by Optivation is designed for individuals with two or more years of experience in building operations and maintenance, but also is an effective overall training course and resource for those new to the industry. Participants attend seven classes over eight days for a total of 74 instruction hours and 7.4 continuing education units. To gain certification, participants must pass an exam at the end of each day of training and complete assigned projects.

For more information about the Building Operator Certification program in Minnesota, contact Nora Wintermute, program associate with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, at (312) 784-7269 or nwintermute@mwalliance.org.